Formidable Three Firing On All Four!
Vanarama Conference South.
Boreham Wood 3 Hayes and Yeading United 0,
by John Mead.
Wood stretched their unbeaten run to seven in the League, maintaining a six point gap against their nearest rivals at the top of the pile.
This was a thoroughly professional all round team performance from a side with a formidable trio of match winners. In Lee Angol, Matty Whichelow and Junior Morias, Wood had the best three players on the park. Angol celebrated his Vanarama Conference South Player of the Month award with a brace, taking his League tally up to fifteen for the season.
The decision to rest several players in the last two cup games paid dividends with Wood showing an energy for the full ninety minutes. When the visitors tried to create, the professionalism of the defence showed through, whilst in the middle of the park the level of tenacity and determination showed by Sam Cox and Ricky Shakes gave the defence time and space to organise, whilst giving the forward line plenty of scope to create.
Whichelow, Morias and Angol showed their collective pedigree as the best and most feared strike force in the league after 14 minutes. Whichelow embarked upon a run, cutting in from the right playing a ball central for Morias. His one touch flick on for Angol was perfect who still had work to do in finding space to curl a superb shot beyond Calum Kitscha for a beautifully crafted opener.
Morias and Whichelow then had shots blocked, before a quick thinking Graeme Montgomery hit a precision free kick from the halfway line across field tempting the run of Whichelow who hit a rising drive that was inches high.
The visitors managed their first shot on target after 25 minutes from Matty Harriott that was hit straight at James Russell. Wood continued to entertain, when the impressive Jordan Brown got involved in the attack. He picked out Morias who set up Whichelow for a first time strike that bought a flying save from the visiting England C first choice keeper.
The Wood corner count mounted, with Callum Reynolds flashing a header across goal.
Wood’s dominance prompted a double substitution for the restart, with the experienced heads of Nathan Elder and Gary MacDonald introduced by Phil Babb.
Elder headed goalwards just minutes later, but Russell was on hand to save. The vigour and hunger shown by Ian Allinson’s side continued unabated. Whichelow flashed a low free kick from the left to the near post where Kitscha could only parry with Luke Garrard homing in on the ball.
It was 2-0 after 58 minutes when the visitors failed to deal with the movement and pace of the home side. Shakes and Morias combined with Brown again forward supplying a return ball for Morias whose blistering drive was spilled by Kitscha as far as Angol. On this occasion he could not finish but Whichelow pounced upon the half clearance to grab the goal that his performance merited.
The pressure continued to mount on the United defence and when Whichelow’s free kick was stopped by the raised hands of a member of the assembled wall, referee Mr Atkin pointed to the spot. Angol stepped up to coolly place his penalty kick wide of the visiting custodian.
There was no way back for Phil Babb’s men , with Wood controlling the rest of the play to run out worthy winners.
In summary Wood Gaffer Ian Allinson described the performance as , “ Nice and strong and powerful. We were well organised and strong all over the park. We will be keeping our feet firmly on the ground and picking up maximum points whilst top of the table puts pressure on the other sides. We are not feeling the pressure whilst we stay six points clear. That is for the others to feel and we now go on to face Staines Town here in a week’s time.”
Team: Russell, Garrard, Brown, Cox, Hill, Reynolds, Whichelow ( Toomey 85), Shakes, Angol, Morias ( Thomas 88) , Montgomery ( Lipman 85).
Subs not used: Moil, Courtnage.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Angol 14, 75 (pen). Whichelow 58.
Fans Man Of The Match: Lee Angol.
